


Royal Blood

by slinkinginshadows



Series: Royal Twins AU [1]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Gen, Kidfic, Magical Pregnancy, Mpreg, mild emetophobia, some body horror
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-22
Updated: 2019-07-21
Packaged: 2020-07-10 11:42:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19905154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slinkinginshadows/pseuds/slinkinginshadows
Summary: Atem starts feeling sick one day. It turns into a bigger deal than he expected. Series of oneshots in my Royal Twins AU, check series for more info.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> AU context: Bakura stumbled across a ritual to bring back restless souls in mortal bodies, with the catch that they have to start right at the beginning and grow like normal. He decides to do some pre-revenge and chooses the Pharaoh as the unwitting host to a few of the ghosts of his village. He hasn't met him at this point, this just shifts the 'attacking the palace' a few years down the line. Eventually, they meet, but with twins in tow and a bit older and more mature this time, Atem realizes how awful what happened is and promises to work with Bakura to help fix it and send the souls to the afterlife. Eventually, as years pass they get together. 
> 
> This first chapter is the pregnancy, start to finish. I'll make this a single fic that's a collection of oneshots. I'll add the casteship tag when I get to the more romantic stuff. The series is for other aus relating to this one that don't fit into the 'canon' of it somehow- I have one and I'm writing another.

Something was wrong with him. **  
**

He didn’t want to admit it- he had to be strong, for both his court and his people. He was Pharaoh, the incarnation of Horus- if some weakness had sprung up, he couldn’t let anyone know about it.

That didn’t mean it went away.

He didn’t _see_ anything at first, just started getting tired more quickly whenever he practiced his magic. He was hungrier all the time too, and started hanging out in the gardens more to sneak fruits from the trees. 

Mana was as energetic as ever, but one day when they played hide and seek, his legs fell asleep and he couldn’t get them to move again even when she found him.

“Prince?”

“Just… give me a moment.” He grunted, trying to wiggle out of the corner he was wedged in, but a jolt rode through his back and he fell on his face.

She giggled before hearing him groan in pain.

“Oh, that wasn’t- are you all right?” She helped him to his feet, and he stumbled forward, nearly collapsing on top of her. She raised a hand to his forehead, and her eyes widened. “Mahad! Something’s-”

“No, don’t… he’ll worry.” Atem mumbled. “It’s just… some bad meat, that’s all.”

She bit her lip. “Are you sure?”

“I am. I’m… going to go back to my room.” He took a few deep breaths before pulling away from her.

“Tell me if you’re not feeling well later, all right? I’ll bring you some dessert!” She said, offering a hand to help him balance, but he brushed it off.

“I’ll be fine, but thank you.”

Once he got back to his room, his stomach twinged, and he curled around it.

Bad food, that was all.

___________

He was practicing trying to control his magic when his vision started going blurry. He shook his head to clear it, then concentrated on pulling up a ball of magic using the Puzzle as a channeling point, pushing the magic from his body to be amplified by the Puzzle and recharge his diadhank.

He didn’t realize he’d passed out until he woke up in the healer’s bed with Mahad fussing over him. The priest’s eyes were alit with fear he was trying to hide.

“My Pharaoh, what happened to you? You were doing fine, until…”

“You just fell over. Like a doll.” Mana was rocking on her heels, tugging at her dress.

“Have you attempted any particularly strenuous spells recently?” Mahad asked, crouching down as Atem sat up.

“Nothing out of the ordinary.” Atem said, before his stomach spun and he slapped a hand to his mouth.

Mana realized what was going on first and managed to grab a bowl and thrust it into his hands before he vomited.

“The healers wanted to examine you, make sure that there isn’t any obvious cause. Are you sure there’s nothing you can remember?” Mahad moved to set a hand on Atem’s, but ended up letting his arm fall.

Atem shook his head, spitting out a bit of nasty-tasting bile.

“Nothing.”

__________

The healers could detect some kind of magic lingering around him, but it didn’t seem like it was dark or malicious- and the Puzzle had always had a strange aura anyhow, so perhaps it had just been that.

He was released a day later- although they’d wanted to continue checking him over, he couldn’t stay. He had a kingdom to run, and the people needed to see him strong, on the throne.

He fought back nausea at dinner at the smell of fish, but forced up a smile, rubbing his stomach under the table in a vain attempt to keep it calm.

Mana didn’t seem to be buying it, but didn’t make a scene, for which he was grateful.

He found himself eating entirely sweet bread, and spent the night trying to fall asleep under an over-full belly that kept cramping, and woke up with his cheeks flushed before immediately vomiting.

___________

Akhenaden was arguing about whether or not they should open trade routes to the north with Isis, which was a rather dumb thing to do in Atem’s opinion. Isis knew the future, didn’t she? She would know best what risks and rewards it would entail. They’d been here for hours, and he’d skipped breakfast to meet with a diplomat.

His stomach gurgled, and he felt sweat drip down his cheeks.

“Are you… all right, my Pharaoh?” Kalim brushed a hand over Atem’s forehead, just below his headpiece. “You’re burning like a fire!”

“I’m… I’m fine.” Atem tried to insist, but when he tried to stand up, he stumbled against the priest’s chest. Oh, he hated being short…

Isis strode out of the room, then sternly told a guard, “Someone get the healers. Something is seriously wrong with the Pharaoh.”

“It’s not that bad…” Atem tried to give her a weak smile, but a twinge in his gut paired with a sudden sucking in his soul, like all his energy was being slurped up.

Isis was in front of him, when had that happened?

“It is. I can’t tell what it is, and that worries me.”

Atem squeezed his eyes shut. “I’ll… deal with it…”

“We’re here so you don’t have to. You had to take the throne younger than your father did, and you shouldn’t fear help.” Isis said, setting a hand against his cheek, and despite himself, he leaned into it.

“…Thank you.” He said quietly.

__________

It had been weeks since he’d started feeling weak and sick when his stomach began to swell.

At first, he attributed it to a small bloat after a large dinner the night before, but as the days went on, it refused to go down. On top of that, it was hard.

He hadn’t worn the tightest of clothes before, so it didn’t alert anyone at first that a new symptom of this strange disease had manifested.

Once again, the healers looked for a cause either magical or physical for his strange new weakness, but once again turned up nothing. He was beginning to wonder if the Gods were displeased with him- if he’d angered them somehow.

Mana was at his bedside today- he’d felt particularly awful and hadn’t had the heart or the energy to wave her off.

“Maybe someone cursed you.” She suggested, and he threw a hand over his sweaty forehead. He felt too gross to wear any of his gold, and his skin seemed bare without it.

“They thought of that, but there wasn’t any more shadow magic than usual.”

“Hmm. Maybe you’re going through some kind of purification, so the Gods know you’re worthy?” She tilted her head. “I don’t know why they’d do that, you’re clearly fine. You care about the people.”

Before she could think up a new theory, a woman brushed past them, and Atem winced as he heard retching and wet splatters.

“Ugh, after all this trouble, you’d better be a damned good help.” She muttered to herself, setting a hand on her swollen belly, and without thinking, Atem’s fingers rested on top of his own. Mana noticed, then looked up at him and moved hers to rest on top of his stomach. She froze when she felt the slight firm, rounded curve.

“Do you think…?”

He blinked at her. “Think…?”

“Well, maybe… if…” She gestured to the woman. “Maybe the Gods wanted to bless you with heirs you know are legitimate.”

“What are you-” The color in his face drained, and his fingers tightened around the cloth of his robe. “That’s… impossible. I’ve never-”

“Nothing’s impossible with magic, you just have to know how to break the rules in the right way.” Mana said. “I’m not saying that’s what it is, it’s just an idea.”

He swallowed. “I hope an idea is all that it is.”

________

As the weeks passed and his stomach only continued to grow, the conversation with Mana clawed the back of his mind like a jackal, until he called Isis and Mahad in. He liked them best.

“I… have an idea, of what may be happening, but you both must promise to take me seriously.”

They nodded almost in unison, and Atem took a breath before peeling off his robe. He’d wrapped a shenti around his waist beforehand, so he wasn’t completely nude, and heard twin gasps.

“My Pharaoh, it looks…”

“Pregnant.” Atem said quietly. “I don’t know how or why, I’ve never done anything that could have led to this, but somehow… I’m fairly certain of it.”

Isis folded her hands together, and Atem could see the far-off look she got when she was using the Tauk.

“Oh. Oh, this is…” She shook her head to clear it. “I cannot see your future directly, as you know, but… you appear to be right.”

Atem buried his face in his hands, and Mahad knelt down to pull them away.

“We will figure out how this came to be, and be rid of it, if that is what you want.”

“I… I don’t know. Mana thought it was either a gift of a curse and I’m not sure myself. If it’s a gods-given miracle, it should stay, but if it’s a curse meant to kill me…” He trailed off. “The healers said they couldn’t detect any extra shadow magic, so it must be of the light. Give me… give me more time to think.”

Mahad stood up, handing him back his robe. “Of course, my Pharaoh.”

_________

It was obvious by the end of the second month. Atem wasn’t sure if it was because of his height, his age as he was just past 18 now or (gods forbid) multiples, but he swore he wore pregnancy much heavier than anyone he’d seen before. He wore looser clothes and stopped wearing a hard gold belt, but even that lasted only so long.

He cut back on food, to delay the inevitable, but the little miracle began to suck at his ba every time he tried, and he had several near-misses with passing out in front of half of his court, so he stopped that and started eating four meals a day.

The people had to know at some point, but his urge to be honest conflicted with the shame that burned through his belly every time he thought of the reactions people would have. Would they insist he step down, that he was cursed?

Not to mention, he still had no idea whether it was to be a good or bad thing. Clearly it was magic in nature, but he could be raising a demon, set to slaughter everything once it was born, for all he knew.

He pulled his knees as far up to his chest as he could, (he could feel his stomach against his legs now) groaning as it began to pull at his ba again. Sometimes, it did that even after he’d eaten. Maybe it needed the magic, which didn’t help the idea that it might be something unearthly.

“Prin-Pharaoh?” Mana rapped on the door. “I brought some sweet dough.”

“Thank you, Mana.” He said quietly. “Just… set it on the table.”

Mana did, but then sat down next to him. “Have you considered what to do with it?”

“I… don’t particularly want to think about it.” He mumbled into his knees. “If it’s a monster, we’ll have to kill it, so I don’t want to get attached. If it’s a person… I suppose I’ll be a father then, won’t I?”

“I’ll help. I like kids.” Mana said, setting a hand on his. “Everyone wants to help, Atem. You’ll get through this.” She grabbed a little dough ball drizzled with honey and held it up to his lips. “You look like you need something sweet.”

Atem allowed her to feed him the dough, and a little smile spread across his face.”Maybe I did.” 

His stomach still cramped, but it wasn’t… the end of the world, at least.

__________

It had been months, and it was obvious now- either it was multiples, or it wasn’t human. Or both.

The healer settled both hands on his belly, and he fought the urge to buck as magic probed inside of him.

“Yes… I sense more than one presence.” He’d taken the Puzzle off, and Mana currently was wringing the life out of the string that held it.

“Is it just me and it, or…?”

“I cannot be certain, as it’s so young, but it does seem to be three, with you.”

Atem bit his lip- birth was already dangerous, but having twins? He wasn’t sure how he was to get out one, much less two.

“We will do the best that we can for you, my Pharaoh. I promise on my life.” The healer gave him a weary smile. “We have delivered twins safely before. It’s difficult, but your natural magic should help.”

He just nodded like a boat bobbing in the Nile, hoping no one saw him swallow nervously. He wished for the first time in a while that his mother was there so he could ask her what to do.

__________

By the middle of the pregnancy, half the city knew. He gained weight only in his belly, and more than one event had seen him disappear into a back room to be sick or to soothe the fussy twins that had decided they liked kicking around.

He wasn’t sure how to respond, so he didn’t- he kept up public appearances, and tried to pretend that his midsection hadn’t swollen like a fatted calf. He stayed on his throne as much as possible when he needed to be seen, as he hated the idea of stumbling in front of a crowd.

No one dared directly challenge him, so he kept up a wall of strength and tucked himself away when needed to soothe the beast.

__________

He knew a few things about them. They liked meat, but weren’t very fond of fish. They liked light magic, but after about month six bucked and made him vomit if he wore the Puzzle for too long. They liked kicking at the worst times, especially when he wanted to sleep or was in important meetings.

They probably had lots of hair like he’d reportedly had, from how much his chest burned.

And, they forced him to get new clothes three separate times, as he kept outgrowing what the seamstresses thought would fit, which wasn’t very comforting.

By the time he approached the end, his back hurt, his stomach hurt, his hips hurt, and if he was honest, his ba felt drained more often than not.

He settled on his bed, stomach settled on top of his legs as they turned around inside of him.

“You’re coming out soon. You had better, because I don’t know how much more my body can handle.” He told them sternly. He let a hand slowly drift down the side of his stomach, catching on a stretchmark, and felt one of them press out to meet him. Without thinking, he smiled. “I wonder if you’re boys or girls or one of each. You… I hope you’re not monsters, but I can’t know everything. Isis has apologized six times, that she can’t tell me. Can you? One kick for boy, two for girl.”

At that, the hand just kind of followed along the length of his palm, which wasn’t much of an answer. Not that he’d really been expecting one.

He sighed. “All right. I’ll find out soon enough.” He rolled over, one hand resting on top of his belly, as he tried to fall asleep.

_________

He realized labor was starting the exact second that his thighs seemed to light on fire in the middle of a discussion on safety in the city. There were rumors that the king of thieves had been spotted- and that one of the smaller tombs had been broken into, so although they’d wanted him to stay in his room, he insisted on being a part of the discussion- something he sorely regretted now. He bit back a scream so hard that his lip started bleeding, and Kalim was the one to notice that his seat was already soaked with fluid.

He didn’t hesitate- he immediately scooped Atem up. Atem would have been embarrassed, but all he could focus on was what felt like someone harshly strumming on the sensitive area between his thighs like a harp that they wanted to break in half just by playing it. “A-ah…” He curled up, desperately wishing to be anywhere but there as he was carried to the healer’s ward. His stomach was cramping horribly, and he could feel them moving around more than usual, eager to be out.

Warm body was exchanged for cool bed as he gasped, gripping the fabric of his robe around the thighs as his hips bucked up.

“Try to stay still.” The head healer said, and Atem squeezed his eyes shut as she gently touched the edges of it. “We’ll be able to see the little ones soon.” She eased his robe up to the middle of his stomach, and rubbed the bottom of it. Her fingers seemed cold. “If all goes well, you’ll be done soon. You’ve done so well.”

Atem nodded quickly. “H-how long…?”

“It depends. It can be long or short.” She examined him again. “Hopefully it won’t be too long, I can see it beginning to widen.”

“Thank the gods.” Atem said, tearing the cloth of his robe as a particularly harsh contraction rolled through him.

________

It did not go shortly, and the widening had not stuck- lucky him, it was some kind of false start. The sun was setting by the time the contractions started actually pushing anything out, and Atem had almost entirely ruined not only his robe, but the piece of leather he’d been given to grip and bite when the pain got to be too bad. Mana and Mahad had arrived by then, and he’d apologize for possibly breaking her hand from his tight grip if he hadn’t nearly passed out three separate times.

His slender hips hadn’t been meant for childbirth, at least not yet, and it made the process excruciating, but eventually, he managed to push both of them out. The older of the two had twisted, wet hair that appeared to be white, while the younger had red sparked with gold on the ends.

Both looked completely human, and if he wasn’t already crying, he would have wept in relief.

“They’re beautiful, my Pharaoh.” The healer said, dabbing at his forehead with a piece of cloth, and he stared down as the one with firey hair yawned.

They were plump and the same rich brown as him, not something unearthly like red or purple. He could see his nose and the shape of his eyes in both of them. Whoever had done this had mixed him in- he could even see the spikes of his own hair in the firstborn. “They are.”

Twin pairs of amethyst lighter than his own blinked up at him, and he wondered for the thousandth time where they had come from.

He was going to find out eventually, one way or another.

But for now, he was content with taking one last look before falling back on the bed and letting everything wash away as unconsciousness took him.


	2. Diplomacy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few diplomats visit, and the babies act up and make Atem feel Very Not Good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for vomit and kinda body horror-ish relating to the pregnancy.

He wanted to maintain that things were fine. Things were normal. That he wasn’t going to let this get in the way of making decisions, being a leader.

It was easier said than done. Some things didn’t change much- discussions with the priests went largely the same as they always had, but for their occasional glances at his midsection that could be shut down with a glare. He could sign documents easily as well.

The problems came when he had to meet with others who didn’t know about his… condition.

He was a little over seven months along, and there were diplomats from over the sea that couldn’t be stalled, so he sat down and he tugged at his robes and he waited.

He’d put on looser clothes, but his trim frame made the jut of his belly obvious unless he wore something that looked like a sack, and he wanted to retain at least a _little_ dignity.

“My Pharaoh.” A servant hurried in, bowing low as he shifted on the throne. “They’ve arrived. Shall I send them in?”

Atem nodded. “Yes, thank you.” He toyed with the string of the Puzzle, resting on the arm of the throne.

The twins _really_ didn’t like him wearing it, but it was a symbol of his power, and his advisers had insisted, so he sighed and pulled it over his head, feeling his hair bob a bit as he brushed past the spikes.

“Just try and behave…” He set a hand on his stomach, seeing how the Puzzle was resting on top of it and shifted slightly with every breath. “This is important. I’ll give you some sweets afterwards.” He let his hand slide down the side, fingers running along the curve. “Is that a deal?”

All he got in return was a kick against his palm as the paler-skinned diplomats were ushered in and he dropped his hand down to rest on the arms of his throne.

Slouching might have hid the curve of his belly some, but it made him look awful and lazy and even shorter than he already was, so Atem smoothed over his robes and sat up straight. Maybe they would think he was just fat, that it was a sign of prosperity.

One of the diplomats leaned over to whisper to the other, and Atem took a slow, deep breath. Perhaps not, then. He saw the hand of the one on the right curve as he whispered to his partner, and his cheeks burned.

“Welcome to Egypt.” He said, and a guard elbowed one of the men before they both hurriedly bowed. Atem wasn’t the biggest fan of formalities, but this told him that they hadn’t even bothered to know common courtesies.

“Thank you for meeting with us, great Pharaoh.” He liked the one on the left at least, he’d done his-

Oh, _gods_.

His stomach turned, and he could feel sweat drip down the back of his neck as acid squirmed in his belly and the twins started moving. Both of them, and all over- if he pulled up his robe, he’d see little moving bumps like insects crawling beneath his skin.

“So, gentlemen. You wish to trade with us?” Hold it back, hold it back. He dug his nails into his palm, trying to focus on the cool metal of his rings.

“Yes, and I believe that we can find something that will benefit all parties involved. We come offering fabric that will help decorate your palace and clothe your people, as well as jewels…” His voice faded to a dull hum even as Atem tried to concentrate, and he swallowed down bile.

The Puzzle seemed to be drilling a hole on the top of his belly, and he curled his fingers around the sides. It was warm, but if it was radiating magic or simply reacting to his body heat, he wasn’t sure.

His throat burned as his stomach cramped, preparing to meet lunch again.

 _Please, just let me get through this,_ he silently begged, blinking his eyes hard before forcing his ears to start listening again.

“-That way, the people home will have access to reliable tools for writing, and new types of food.” The man was finishing. “Do you have any suggestions?”

“I…” His eyes were wide, and he stood up. “I will… take a day consider your proposal. Guards, lead them to rooms and have someone prepare them…” He paused, bunching up the fabric on the side of his robe. “Prepare them properly.”

They gave him another quick bow before being hurried off. One of the guards seemed to notice the sheen of sweat covering Atem’s cheeks, because he hurried over. “Are you all right, my Pharaoh?”

“Water.” Atem said with as much urgency as he could muster, slumping back down on the throne, unsure if his legs would hold him for much longer. His vision was growing spotty, like dark ink had been smeared over his eyes, and his stomach roiled like a cobra poising to strike. He heard footsteps as the guard hurried to get him the water, and he yanked the Puzzle off, setting it on the floor.

Almost immediately, the blurred spots faded (although they didn’t disappear entirely) and the angry gurgles of his belly died down to pitiful whines, but the twins didn’t stop moving. He held a hand to his mouth as one of them prodded out hard enough for it to be visible even through his clothes.

“Why do you… hate it so much?” He asked, setting his palm flat against where the bump had appeared. “It’s- hrrrk!” The nausea that had been building hit a peak and he looked around desperately for something to puke in. He slid off the throne like a ragdoll, before fumbling for one of the bowls he’d set behind it for just such an occasion, expelling his stomach’s contents with a groan and a nasty twisting feeling that was like a whirlpool in his belly.

“You’re not… getting those sweets now. Little brats.” He spat into the bowl before wiping at his mouth with his cape. His stomach felt like it was lined with rocks, and he held the bowl up again as another wave hit him, forcing out the rest of what he’d eaten that morning. The fruits were far more bitter coming back up.

“Pharaoh?” He jolted up as the guard awkwardly held out a cup. “Your water?”

“Yes, thank you.” He sat up before sipping the water, swishing it around his mouth and spitting it out into the bowl before swallowing the rest and handing the cup back. “If anyone asks, I’ll be back in my room.”

The guard nodded. “I’ll stay here, to make sure the message is shared when people come looking.” He paused. “If I may… say something?”

“Go ahead.”

“My wife… she found that the taste of honey and a wet cloth across her stomach often helped, when she had our son.”

Atem flushed. “I will take that into consideration.” He braced a hand behind his back and winced at a CRACK when he stood up.

“Do you require any-”

“I can handle it.” He said quickly, grabbing the Puzzle before walking back to his room. He immediately pulled his robe off, stripped down to merely a simple waist-wrap and the armbands that were hooked in. Off went the bracelets, the headpiece, and the rings. He kicked off his shoes, then settled on his bed.

The twins were still squirming, but they weren’t as active as they’d been ten minutes prior. As he ran his hand along it, his stomach curved almost directly from his ribs, as if they were pulling all of his mass to his center. He’d never been underweight, but he’d never been fat either, and the swell almost looked inhuman as he stared down at it.

He wasn’t sure what scared him more, the idea that they would be monsters, or the idea that he would be a father to two human children soon.

His mouth still tasted foul and his taut skin burned, and he slumped back with a sigh.

Two more months of this…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love comments!


	3. Looking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A thief sneaks in to see his handiwork.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, I can’t decide if this should be canon or not? It wouldn’t really mess with the timeline since Atem is sleeping and doesn’t see anything, but I like the idea that Bakura legit didn’t see Atem until he came to pick up the kids. Ah well, I like this anyhow. I'm keeping it with the oneshot collection mostly because it's not a complete story like the other aus of the au are.

The thief slunk through the window like a cobra, all smooth movements and with a blood-red cloak fluttering in the warm night air like a snake’s flickering tongue.

The Pharaoh was sleeping, and he watched him. His hand was curled over the thin sheets, face screwed up in either pain or nightmare, and honestly, either was good.

He slunk closer, pulling the sheets up while soothing a spell to keep him asleep over the god-king’s pretty little head. It would do no good for him to see the thief now- that might ruin the surprise.

He was sleeping in the nude, so as he shifted around, one hand slid off the blanket and over to rest on his belly.

The thief had been keeping track of the days- Atem (that _was_ his name, wasn’t it? Often, the gossip only said ‘the Pharaoh’-) was five months in now, and it definitely showed with the rounded swell of his stomach. The skin had darker lightning marks lining the edges, where the skin had been stretched, and when he set his hand on the curve, the Pharaoh’s breath hitched, even under the sleep spell.

“Don’t like me touching it, eh?” He grinned, letting his fingers spread out. Something squirmed under his rough palm, and his eyes widened. _Knowing_ that he’d put something in there was different from _feeling_ it. “Hey there. You’ll be free soon, and then I’ll take you back. You’ll help me take revenge, for all of them.” His fingers curled, nails dragging a cut that started to bleed against one of the stretchmarks, and the Pharaoh’s eye twitched as he curled up on himself, around his bloated middle. It almost looked… protective.

“Although… I don’t have any way to really feed you, do I? I’m not doing that to _myself_. Maybe I can let him get attached, then as soon as you’re weaned…” He grinned. “Take his family, like he took mine.” He brushed his hand up, feeling how soft the skin was, how the hair felt almost like sand on silk. “I’ve waited 18 years, I can wait a few more.” He playfully tugged at one of the sun-yellow bangs before letting it bounce back into place.

“Royal life spoiled you, didn’t it? Raised in luxury, with soft skin and nice hair. They’ll look nice, with you as the mother. I hope at least one looks like you, so you get to see your own face tear you apart.” He saw jewelry scattered over the dresser, but he wasn’t there for thievery, as tempting as it was to take the headpiece- that would indicate someone had been there.

He slid a ring inlaid with lazuli onto his finger anyways, brushing his hand over the Pharaoh’s belly one last time before pulling the spell back and sliding out the window. “Give him hell for me.”


	4. Babies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once the girls are born, Atem wonders where they came from.

The twins needed a wet nurse. He produced some milk, but not enough to keep up with hungry twins- the spell that had gifted them to him hadn’t been that kind.

He insisted on staying nearby, though, not wanting to let them out of his sight for more than a minute or two. They were children born of magic, and if he was honest with himself, he feared they’d disappear the same way.

He loved them so much it almost hurt. He’d tried to keep up his duties, but even though Akhenaden had told him to leave them with a servant, he’d simply swaddled one at his front and one at his back, bouncing them on his knee as he received diplomats and priests and anyone who sought an audience.

Nova in particular was tactile, constantly gripping at anything she could get her little hands on. Mana’s staff, Isis’s robe, his hair, her own toes.

Sali, meanwhile, was incredibly fussy- she knew she had her father’s eyes every moment, and took full advantage of it, demanding to always be paid attention to.

“Now, just let me think…” Atem had three different scrolls sprawled out on the table in front of him, and he was running his hands through Sali’s hair with his free hand as she babbled happily. (How they were born with so much hair, he had no idea, but according to the nurse he’d been the same so it must run in the family.) “Where could you have come from?”

Nova stuck out her tongue, kicking at nothing.

“White hair… white hair…” Atem scanned over the nearest parchment. “Nothing, besides the fact that it’s rare and those with it usually have strong magical abilities.” He pulled Nova closer, blowing a rasperry into her belly button. “Sali got her coloring from me, so that’s not much of a hint…” He sighed. “Who sent you?”

“Find anything?” Mana leaned over his chair, setting down another scroll before picking Sali up and bouncing her on her hip.

“Nothing useful.” Atem grumbled. “I haven’t found anything explaining how I got pregnant in the first place either.”

“I still think they were a gift.” Mana said, pecking kisses over Sali’s cheeks. “What does it matter where they’re from?”

“Because they’re going to want to know, when they grow up, and I want to know if there’s anything I should be prepared for. I can’t tell them their mother died in childbirth, everyone in the city knows it was me by now” He pushed the chair away from the table, scooping Nova up. “What if they’re born with powers we don’t understand?”

Mana raised an eyebrow. “Atem, you know how good all the priests are with magic- one of them would know how to help.”

“I just…” He shifted Nova, before running a hand through his hair. “I don’t want something happening, where if I’d just known how to help them, then they- I don’t want them hurt.”

“No one wants to see kids hurt, especially their own.” Mana said. “You’re doing your best, and I’d say-”

Sali started giggling, thudding her chubby little hands against Mana’s breasts, and Mana smiled. “I’d say you’re doing fine.”

Atem winced as Nova tugged at one of his bangs and bit down on it. “No, don’t eat that. I need those.”

“I don’t know, she seems pretty determined.” Mana laughed. “Maybe your hair just tastes really good to her baby mouth.”

“Maybe.” Atem mumbled, even as he lightly tugged it away from her and set his fingertip in her mouth to suck on instead.

___________

Sali sparked and Atem nearly dropped the toy he’d been dangling over her head.

“Sali?”

She laughed, batting at the tiny cloth cat even as tiny white sparks escaped her fingers, dyeing threads of the toy yellow.

Magic. She had magic, at barely a month old. That was almost unheard of. He set the cat down, and she hugged it, rocking a bit in her basket and burbling happily with her prize. As he watched, more of the yellow seeped through the cloth.

“Of course you couldn’t just be normal babies.” He said dryly. “What would be the fun in that?”

___________

Nova splashed her hands in the small tub, cooing as the water soaked her hair so it looked like it was growing down instead of up.

“You spit up at dinner, you brought this on yourself.” Atem said. There was a servant watching, but he’d insisted on at least trying to bathe them himself. He wanted to do as much as he could himself, especially if magic spurts happened again. He’d carried them, he had to be equipped to help leverage it if a tantrum ended up blowing up a room, right?

“Ah!” Nova spit a little water at him, and he rubbed at her scalp with a bit of cloth in return.

“Don’t start acting up already, you aren’t even six months old yet.” He teased, booping her nose. “You’re going to be a queen one day, so act like it.” He paused. “Or a pharaoh, depending on who you tell me you are.” He leaned close. “Once I find out who gave you to me, we’ll figure out just what wonderful things you’ll be capable of, won’t we?”

She just gave a gummy smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are always great!

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are really appreciated-I put more thought into the plot of this than I probably should have, I just prefer to use kinks as window dressing for either character interaction or story, usually both.


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